Slidell City Attorney Patrick "Pat" Berrigan resigned from his position Monday afternoon, according to an e-mail message distributed to members of the city council.

Ellis Lucia, The Times-PicayuneCity Attorney Pat Berrigan (left) and legal secretary Leisa (cq) Smith (background) move into their new third floor offices in the Slidell Technology and Arts Center in March 2011. Berrigan resigned from his position on Monday and will no longer work for Mayor Freddy Drennan after Aug. 31, 2011.

The message, sent out at 4:18 p.m., indicates that Berrigan will stop working for Mayor Freddy Drennan after Aug. 31. In the coming days, Drennan is expected to nominate a replacement, and the city council will subsequently vote to either confirm or deny that appointment during a regular open meeting.

Berrigan became city attorney in July 2010, when Drennan first took office. In that position he served as the chief legal advisor to the mayor, city council as well as every municipal department, office and agency.

Representing the city in all non-criminal legal proceedings was also among his primary responsibilities. In perhaps his highest-profile involvement in such matters, he convinced the Civil Service Board in February to uphold the firing of a former police department employee accused of jeopardizing the force's valued national accreditation with sloppy work.

Berrigan also spent time as city attorney with the administrations of former Mayors Webb Hart in the 1980s and Frank Cusimano Sr. in the 1970s. Additionally, he served a three-year stint as city prosecutor that started in 2007 under former Mayor Ben Morris.

Officials on Tuesday morning had not yet made any public comments about his resignation. Check back with nola.com for more later.